Dear Diary

It is considered in Sparta to be an honor to die at battle, and I would follow Leonidas into battle without hesitation, but there is still a part of me that would rather return home than be slain at the hands of some cowardly Persian. This is our third day at Thermopylae, and Leonidas just got word that we’ve been flanked. Holding them off on one side has been tiring and difficult, but it was possible to do. There is no way we can hold both sides at once, especially against such a large Persian force. We all know what the outcome of this battle will be, and I’m sad to say this will be my last account.

At this point, our only job is to survive as long as we can, and delay the Persians for as long as possible. Some men are hopeful, saying that there is always a possibility of us surviving, but there is no way that us 300 spartans are going to make it out of this battle alive. It is unlikely that we would even be able to defend both sides, but even if we could the Persians would just take the coward's route and use their archers against us. Those cowards are going to cut us down one by one and there’s nothing we can do about it except fight our hardest for as long as we can.

How long this battle goes on for will decide the fate of Sparta. Leonidas has sent the rest of the Greeks home so now it’s only up to us. I have lived my life with no regrets and that remains true to this point. I will fight alongside my Spartan brothers until my last dying breath. I hope that my son and wife understand why I have died and can move on with their lives. Now is time to get in position, as the Persians are going to be here at any second.

The Trade Off

If I could swap places with any character in fiction that I wanted to, I would probably choose the Left Paddle from the hit videogame Pong. There are so many reasons why this is the perfect character to swap places with, because the Left Paddle is the most perfect character to ever grace this Earth. I have chosen which reason for swapping with left paddle are the best and I’m going to talk about them, and I think by the end you will agree with me.

The first reason why I would like to swap with Left Paddle is because I would become just so handsome if I did. I honestly cannot think of any character that is better looking that Left Paddle. The Left Paddle is such a perfect person, he is so symmetrical which is appealing to the eye, and he has come in many different colors over the years, which make him a diverse character to be. Also, Left Paddle isn’t just beautiful on the outside, he is beautiful on the inside too. Sometimes if you play against him, he lets you get one in for free, just so you feel a little better about yourself.

Another reason to swap with Left Paddle is because you are guaranteed a job for life. You will never have to worry about finding a job ever again because Left Paddle is destined to life of hitting a ball back and forth forever. If you’re good at your job, you’ll be able to get all those points, which will pay for dinner and other things for your family (Points totally act as money, don’t worry about it.) A good thing about having this job for life is that it’s a job that will help you get fit. Which won’t really matter because all you are is a vertical line, but you still would be able to move really fast.

The last reason why I would like to swap with Left Paddle is because I would have a very good friend for life that I get to work with and have a friendly rivalry with. Right Paddle would become one of my good friends that I would get to see everyday at work. We would have to become best friends because we would have to see each other every day. Also, if I was ever mad at Right Paddle, I would be allowed to shoot balls at his face. Mostly though, me and Right Paddle would be great friends for the rest of our natural lives.

So those are the reasons why I would like to swap places with Left Paddle from Pong. I bet by now you see the appeal of the Left Paddle, as he is probably the best character in the history of characters. Left Paddle is amazing and I think that everybody should look up to him as a role model.

Archetype

In almost every work of fiction there is a heroic figure. There are lots of different characteristics that all of these figures share. In this essay I’m going to talk about each of these characteristics, and give examples of characters in fiction who possess these characteristics.

A lot of heroes have very serious personalities and are very much loners. This is sometimes because the hero has gone through some sort of traumatic event in their life which has caused them to become the hero, but also made them become very serious and want to be alone at all times. This sort of characteristic is usually changed throughout the course of a story as the hero meets new people and usually develops some sort of love interest. So, while they usually change their minds about people by the end of the story, this is a characteristic shared by many different heroes. A good example of this is the hero Batman, he is a very serious person, very dark and brooding, but he has a lot of different friends who help him and he even developed a love interest which caused him to lighten up a bit.

Strength is a very common trait with heroes. A hero is supposed to be a character that can take whatever comes to them. So, a lot of heroes are very physically strong, like Superman or Thor ( The Marvel version not the one from Norse mythology ) and they can take a hit and fight villains. Also there are a lot of mentally strong heroes, which means that they can keep fighting no matter what happens to them and they don’t break. A good example of a mentally strong hero is Luke Skywalker, who started his journey after his uncle and aunt were burned to death, he even had to see the their charred corpses, also he is mentally strong because he continued fighting even after he found out that Darth Vader was his father.

Heroes have to be very courageous, otherwise they wouldn't be able to do the things that a hero does. A hero has to be brave and be able to do the things that would terrify any normal person. If the hero isn’t courageous they wouldn’t be able to do the things that scare them in the story. An example of a very courageous hero would be Frodo Baggins from The Lord of the Rings or another example is Indiana Jones.

So those are just some of the traits that many heroes possess in a lot of fiction. There are many other traits, but these are just some of the common ones with heroes today. In this essay I talked about multiple traits that a lot of heroes have.

The Top Five Best Videogames

Videogames are one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Unlike, books or movies, where the people watching are only able to view what is happening, videogames allow people to do more than watch and be part of the game. In this list, I am going to talk about which videogames I think are the best, based on how entertaining it is, the replay factor of the game. and just how popular it is in general.

5. Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Animal Crossing is a game about creating a town, a town that happens to be inhabited by a bunch of talking animals. In this game you come to this new town, and are appointed mayor, and from then on it's up to you to develop the town. As you play the game, new people will come to live in your town, and more shops will open. This game is really fun because it has a lot to offer and you can replay it a bunch of times and change the layout of your town or which people live in your village with you.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - The Legend of Zelda is one of the greatest adventure game series ever, and Ocarina of Time is my favorite game out of the series. This Nintendo 64 game, which was also remastered for the Nintendo DS, is widely considered as one of Nintendos best games. In this game, you play as Link, who is a young boy living in a place called Kokiri Village. You set out on a journey throughout the land of Hyrule, trying to save it from the evil villain named Ganondorf.

3. Mario Maker - Mario Maker is just like any other Mario game, except in this one you can make your own levels or play levels made by other people from around the world. Some people make some levels that are too hard, but there are a lot of really cool levels too. The level creator is really fun and easy to use and you can share all your levels for other people to play.

2. Super Smash Bros. - Super Smash Bros. is a very fun game where you take on the role of any of your favorite Nintendo characters and fight against your friends. You can play alone with computers and that is still a lot of fun, but this game is really for playing multiplayer against your friends. You can play with up to eight other people. There's many characters to choose from, each having there own special ability.

1. Pokemon Diamond - Pokemon is already a very popular series with many different installments, but Pokemon Diamond is my all time favorite, and the one I grew up with. In this game, you take on the role of a Pokemon trainer, who has to travel across the land of Sinnoh collecting and training different Pokemon for battle. This game honestly has a very good story and is just fun all around. You could replay this game many times and still not get bored with it.

Grammar Exercises

1. The team won (its) (it's) game. Did you win (yours) (your's), (to)(too) (two)?

The team won its game. Did you win yours, too?

2. They left (their) (there) books (there) (their) (they're).

They left their books there.

3. I hear (your) (you're) about to graduate.

I hear you're about to graduate.

4. Its) (It's) nice that (there) (their) (they're) friendly.

It's nice that they're friendly

5. Although I get (alot) (a lot) of colds, I feel (all right) (alright) now.

Although I get a lot of colds. I feel alright now.

6. (Whose) (Who's) prettier (then) (than) you?

Who's prettier than you?

7. Are you tired? I'm out of (breathe) (breath), (too) (to) (two).

Are you tired? I'm out of breathe, too.

8. Run back and (fourth) (forth) from (hear) (here) to (their) (there).

Run back and forth from here to there.

9. (Your) (You're) about to (loose) (lose) (your) (you're) book.

You're about to lose your book.

10. Everyone will (accept) (except) the prize (accept) (except) you.

Everyone will accept the prize except you.

11. Do you know (weather) (whether) or not he will give me the prize?

Did you know whether or not he will give me the prize?

12. Many people (choose) (chose) to live in large cities.

Many people choose to live in large cities.

13. Is the doctor (through) (thorough) (threw) with my exam?

Is the doctor through with my exam?

14. What (affect) (effect) does the school (principle) (principal) have on you?

What effect does the school principal have on you?

15. What did he (advice) (advise) you to do? Did you take his (advice)(advise)?

What did he advise you to do? Did you take his advice?

16. (There) (Their) (They're) are (alot) (a lot) of (your) you're) friends in the boat.

There are a lot of your friends in the boat.

18. I will (buy) (by) a book (buy) (by) Ray Bradbury.

I will by a book by Ray Bradbury.

Quiz

Game

Time Capsule

1. An Ipod - Leaving an Ipod will show the people of the future what sort of technology we used and they would be able to compare it to whatever technology they use then. Also, they would be able to use any of the apps and listen to the music, so the Ipod could show them what kind of music was popular in our time, and what sort of apps we used to pass the time, or just in daily life.

2. Seinfeld Box Set - First of all, this would show the people of the future what a dvd is, assuming they are obsolete in 100 years. Also, this would show what sort of entertainment was popular in the past and they would be able to see whether or not TV has developed in the last 100 years.

3. Some clothes - This would show the people of the future what kind of clothes we liked to wear. They would be able to see the style of outfits we wore, and what sort of designs they had.

4. A newspaper - A newspaper would show people what sort of current events were going on when we were alive. It would also contain lots of pictures of certain things. Also, newspapers might be obsolete by the time the time capsule is opened so it could be something to really represent this time.

5. Pokemon Cards - I decided to put this in because it is my favorite franchise and also a hugely popular franchise. These cards would show the people of the future one way that some of us liked to have fun, and it would also show people something that a lot of people liked to collect. Also if this franchise still exist in 100 years, these cards will show how much it developed.





Dear people of the future,

Hello! My name is Nick, I’m a fifteen year old boy that goes to Blackville high school, and I left this time capsule for you. I live with my family of five people. In my family there is my mother, Cheryl, my father, Wallace, my older brother, Noah, and my younger sister, Isabella. Some big recent events that have happened are that on April 12, 2015, a black man was killed in Baltimore due to police brutality, but the police denied it, causing the city to erupt into riots. Also a big thing that happened in 2015 was that Ireland approved same-sex marriage, which is pretty cool. Now, going back to bad news of 2015, there were nine people shot by a gunman in a Charleston church, the reason for the shooting was that the gunman did not like black people. Also this was the year of Donald Trump, a presidential candidate who is quite the character, he became very hated by many, and with good reason, he is very racist and homophobic, and just has some crazy plans for America. Trump also became a popular internet joke. Some good news that is closer to home is that Justin Trudeau became prime minister of Canada, which is good because he should make a lot of changes for the better. A lot more has happened over the year, but I couldn’t talk about them all so these are the ones that I think a very important.

Antonio the Friendly Pirate

1. Antonio was a pirate. He had been a pirate for a very long time.

2. Antonio liked being a pirate, but he didn’t like to bully people like the rest of his crew did. He wanted to leave his crew, but he was scared to tell the captain.

3. One day, Antonio and his crew sailed into a new town.

4. The rest of the crew went into the town to bully anybody they could find.

5. Antonio didn’t want to bully anybody anymore so he stayed back with the ship.

6. While Antonio waited with the ship, a boy walked by. Antonio was really bored, so he decided to talk to him.

7. “Hello!” Antonio said as he walked up to the boy.

8. The boy looked really scared and started to walk in the other direction.

9. “Please don’t hurt me!” He yelled as Antonio got closer to him.

10. Antonio was really confused, he never wanted to hurt this boy “Why would I hurt you?” He asked.

11. “Because you’re a pirate!” The boy responded.

12. Antonio was very upset by this, he didn’t want anybody to be scared of him. “Yes, I’m a pirate, but I don’t want to be!”

13. The boy turned back to Antonio and smiled at him. “Well okay. I’m Sebastian, what’s your name?”

14. “ My name is Antonio, it’s very nice to meet you.Would you like to see our ship?” Antonio asked. Sebastian looked very excited and nodded.

15. Antonio took Sebastian back to the ship and showed him around. He showed him where the captain stays, where all the crew works, and even where they kept all the cannons.

16. “Wow! That was really cool!” Sebastian exclaimed “Wait, Antonio, if you don’t want to be a pirate, why do you stay with your crew?”

17. “I stay with them because they’re my friends! And also I’m scared of the captain.”

18. Sebastian frowned “If they’re really your friends, they wouldn’t make you be a pirate, and you should face your fear of the captain so you can be happy!”

19. Antonio was really happy that he had finally made a good friend who wasn’t scared of him. Just then, he could see the crew returning to the ship.

20. “Captain, crew, I have something to tell you.” Antonio said nervously as the crew watched him. “ I don’t want to be a pirate anymore!”




21. The captain stepped forward and looked mad. Antonio was really scared now!]




22. Suddenly, the captain smiled at him “Yarr, if ye didn’t want to be a pirate, ye should have told us!”


23. The captain and the crew were happy for Antonio. Now he could finally live his life happily with his new friend Sebastian.

Tips on Writing Stories for Children

I found the section about story structure quite helpful and interesting. It says how you should write your story, and gives tips to make your story as interesting as possible. The information given about characters and theme is similar to what I wrote when I analysed the children stories. It is similar in that it says the theme should be positive and the readers should be able to identify with the characters. In "Writing Good Dialogue" they gave tips on what the dialogue in a story should be about and how to make it progress the story, which I found quite helpful. I think how the dialogue is written should be part of the rubric because I think good dialogue is important.

Analyzing Children Stories

1. Who is the main character? Is the character human or non-human? Describe the main character.

Fruit Salad - The main character in this story is an apple with a face and limbs who doesn't know what he wants to with his life.

McFeeglebee's Pond - The main character in this story is a young boy named  Georgie P. Johnson who really likes to fish.

Who Did Patrick's Homework - The main character in this story is boy named Patrick who never does homework.

2. Is there any dialogue? If so, what is the dialogue about? Does it help explain the problems, feelings, situations?

Fruit Salad - The dialogue in this story is mainly between apple and the other fruits, and it is about them trying to choose what they want to do after they leave the fruit bowl.

McFeedlebee's Pond - The dialogue in this story is between Georgie and his friends. The dialogue is his friends trying to convince Georgie not to fish at McFeeblebee's pond because he'll get in trouble.

Who Did Patrick's Homework - The dialogue in this story is between Patrick and the elf that helps him do his homework. 

3. What is the problem or conflict? Do you think it is a conflict young children can understand and relate to?

Fruit Salad - The problem in this story is that the apple doesn't know what he wants to do with his life after he leaves the fruit bowl. I think that children could understand this but it seems like a more teenager thing to worry about what they'll do after they leave home.

McFeedlebee's Pond - The conflict in this story is that McFeedlebee doesn't want people to fish in his pond but Georgie really wants to fish and relax at the pond. I think that this story could help kids understand not to use things that aren't theirs without permission.

Who Did Patrick's Homework - The problem is that Patrick wants to use the elf he found to help him do his homework, but the elf doesn't understand how to do any of the homework. I think this story could show kids that you can't take shortcuts if you want something done.

4. How is the conflict resolved? What is the message or lesson?

Fruit Salad - The conflict is resolved when all the fruit meet up again and decide they want to be composted. I think the message is that you don't always have to know what you're going to do with your life, even if your friends have already figured it out.

McFeedlebee's Pond - The conflict is resolved when Georgie had a dream that shows him what could happen if he fishes at McFeedlebee's pond. I think the message is that you should always ask for permission before you do anything on another persons property.

Who Did Patrick's Homework - The conflict is resolved when Patrick realizes he doesn't need the elf to help him with his homework. I think the message is that if want something done right, you should do it yourself,

5. How are the three stories similar and how are they different?

There isn't much similar about these stories, the main characters in McFeedlebee's Pond and Who Did Patrick's Homework are similar in that they both start off as troublemakers. There are a lot of differences thought, because each story has a totally different message and theme.

6. Why do you think the stories would be appealing to younger children? Provide specific examples.

I think these stories would be appealing to young children because they are all colorful and have fun characters. For example, the apple in Fruit Salad is pretty appealing because he has a face and he acts funny in the story.

How to Make a How To Article

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EqUIMqaojPezNfVvvt4lt5yQi-Puz9BTEEbpV8v0MWc/pub

How To Use Tumblr

The how to article I have chosen to review is “How To Use Tumblr”. I chose this article because I know that Tumblr is a hard website to use and without explanation, can be really confusing for newcomers. Tumblr is a very large website with lots of many features that are given little to no explanation, so it can be a little overwhelming for new users to the site. This article shows you all the basic functions of Tumblr, and some tips and tricks for using the site.

I found this article very helpful and educational. I thought it was very effective because the author gave an in-depth explanation for every function that is on the website and tells you how to use each one as effectively as possible. I also thought this was a good article because even after the author explained everything on the site, he talked about some tips to become a pro at using the site.

There are no more than three grammatical or spelling errors in the article. (5/5)

The article has a catchy headline that makes you want to read it. (4/5)

The article has a purpose, explaining benefits to the reader. (5/5)

The steps in the article are clear and easy to understand. (5/5)


Overall (19/20)

Jar Jar Binks

Finding Forrester Review

The movie Finding Forrester Starred Rob Brown and Sean Connery, it was a very enjoyable film that was all about the relationship that develops between Jamal Williams, an aspiring writer, and William Forrester, an author that keeps to himself. This film was produced by Columbia pictures and directed by Gus Van Sant in 2000. It was a very well made movie with a great story that did a good job at captivating its audience.

The film follows Jamal Williams (Rob Brown) who is a teenage boy living in the Bronx. Jamal loves to write and play basketball and is offered to attend a private school, where he can learn to get better at writing and play for a real basketball team. After a bet, Jamal meets William Forrester (Sean Connery), who is an author that never leaves his home. Jamal and William develop a strong relationship as William teaches Jamal new writing techniques, and Jamal teaches William that it’s okay to leave his home. As Jamal adapts to this new school, he gets into many conflicts with certain teachers and other students. You could compare William Forrester to Boo Radley from To Kill a Mockingbird because both characters are not comfortable leaving their home very often and both characters seem mysterious to the characters who do not know them.

Finding Forrester was a very high quality movie. The acting, setting, music and conflicts were all done so well. I found that all the actors played their characters well and their characters were believable and likable. I thought that the setting matched these characters very well. The soundtrack to this movie was amazing and fit in with the movie well.

I think that one of the messages of the film was that you shouldn’t make assumptions about people and their abilities just based on how they look on the outside. This is a message that I really agree with because you can’t really judge a person unless you truly know them. The movie conveyed this message very well by showing how a lot of the characters make assumptions about Jamal and think he can’t do certain things just because of how he looks and where he comes from, but Jamal still gets to prove them wrong.

Finding Forrester was an outstanding film. It was very high quality and had a great story that included some great messages for the audience. I truly think that this movie is worth watching.

Star Wars: The Review Awakens

For this assignment I chose to read a review on the 2015 movie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens by the website Reelviews.

Many movie reviews that are written include a good summary of the film, but end up spoiling the film in the process. However, I chose this movie review because it didn't spoil any part of the film for anyone who may not have seen the movie, yet it managed to summarize the plot perfectly. This is extremely important for any film review because many people who read movie reviews are people who haven't watched the film yet and they would rather have some knowledge on it before they watch it. The reader won't be happy if the review spoiled the entire film and I wouldn't be either. 

Another important point for movie reviews to have that this one did perfectly was that it cleared up the assumptions of people who had yet to see the film. For example, with Star Wars, most people assumed that it would be the same as the films before it and just be a repeat of the disaster that was the Star Wars prequels, but this review covered the fact that this movie is extremely different from the movies before it. The review states many times that the action is over the top with amazing special effects. I think that this point is especially important in movie reviews because when someone chooses to not watch a movie because of what it seems like through the previews.

I think that every single movie review should include a good summary or the film's plot without spoiling it, as well as making sure any speculation is talked about. These two points should be very important to every film review because the viewers would probably feel better about reading a film review if they knew that there wouldn't be spoilers in them. My favorite genres of film are comedy and sci-fi. If I could do a review on any film, I would choose the film Guardians of the Galaxy because it's one of the best films I have watched and I have watched it many times. 

LUMPY SCREAMS

Skelechoir

SKELECHOIR

A silly skeleton story by Nick

       I am filled with nervous butterflies in my non-existent stomach. Us skeletons don’t really have organs or arteries. This is my first time performing in front of a crowd with the choir. As I wait on the side of the stage for my cue, I think about how lucky it is that this esteemed choir is allowing a lowly skeleton like me perform with them. The stage manager is looking at me as if I were some sort of monster, it must be his first time viewing a walking skeleton.

      From where I am standing on side, I can see all of the young talented members of the choir, all dressed in their black robes, singing their hearts out on the disheveled stage. It’s truly a shame that such a talented bunch of people have to perform on a stage made up of rotting wood, when they really deserve to perform on a stage of gold. I remember the first time I met the choir. They all seemed way too young to be part of one of the most amazing choirs in the world. The choir kids were scared of me at first, which is understandable, most people would scream if they saw a skeleton with yellowed cracked bones walking toward them. Also the fact that I was screaming from excitement when I met them probably didn’t help.

     Though the choir was scared of me when we first met, we quickly grew close as they taught me how to sing and dance, and I taught them more and more about how skeletons live. The kids of this choir became my very best friends and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. I am nudged back to reality as I feel a nudge on my scapula (That’s the shoulder bone). I look around and see that the stage manager is nudging me and calling my name.

     It’s time for me to go on, it’s time for my big debut. I feel excited, but I also feel mortified. I feel as if I would cry if I had any real eyes to cry from. Up on the stage, the tattered curtain is pulled as they wait for me to take my position. The kids are all looking at me expectantly but I don’t think I can move, my bones feel as if they weigh a ton.

     I suddenly made the realisation that there was no need for me to be scared. We had practiced this song, titled ‘skelechoir’ millions of times and there was no way I could mess it up, it was all about skeletons after all. I dashed to center stage, all the kids in the choir patted my back and wished me luck. The curtain was slowly pulled to the side, revealing a crowd of at least a hundred people, if not more. I started to sing my melody, and the crowd began to scream, whether it was from fright or from excitement I’ll never know, but that doesn’t matter.

Writing Inventory Reflection

      Sometimes I write in my spare time, but I don’t write everyday, sometimes I just don’t have anything to write about or I’m just doing something else. Other activities I do in my spare time include reading, playing video games or drawing. My favorite writer is probably J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’. His stories are harder to read but I still enjoy them very much. My favorite type of writing to read and to write is narrative because I find them the most enjoyable to read and I also have an easier time writing narratives than I do with other types of writing. The type of writing I have the hardest time with is most likely essay, mainly because I just don’t enjoy writing essays about anything and I find it very difficult.

     I’m inspired by all sorts of different things to write. If I read about something that I find interesting I might be inspired to write something based off of that, or sometimes I just like to write about things that happen in my life, sort of like a journal. The only thing I currently have that I’m writing is my journal thing where I just write about my day and what’s going on in my life. One thing I wrote that I’m especially proud about was a writing piece I wrote for English in grade nine. It was a short comedy story about a man whose house is being haunted by ghosts that try(and fail) to scare him out of the house. I remember having a lot of fun writing it and it got a pretty good mark if I remember correctly.

    When writing, I usually make only one draft, but I go back and edit that draft as much as possible until I think it’s good enough to start a good copy. I honestly think I’m pretty good at descriptions and that it’s my biggest strength as a writer. My biggest weakness is my sentence structure I suppose, sometimes I have run on sentences and sometimes my sentences are too short, but it’s something I’m trying to improve. I don’t really have a favorite thing to write about because The things I write about vary a lot. I like writing fiction stories but I don’t have a favorite subject within those stories that I write about a lot. My goals is just to improve my writing skills and be able to write really good stories by the end of this course.